Lancaster’s ALTERNA FLORA Selected for Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE at Historic Lynnewood Hall

Lancaster floral artist Kristin Horst transforms Mrs. Astor into a one-of-a-kind botanical work for the international floral exhibition, on view September 25^th through October 4^th.

LANCASTER, PA, September 20, 2026 — Lancaster-based floral artist Kristin Horst, founder of ALTERNA FLORA, has been selected to participate in Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE, an international floral exhibition bringing the characters and visual world of HBO’s The Gilded Age to life through elaborate fresh-floral installations.

The 10-day exhibition is taking place September 25 through October 4 at historic Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Presented daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the exhibition features one-of-a-kind floral mannequins created by regional floral designers, each interpreting a character from the HBO Original Series.

Reimagining Mrs. Astor Through Flowers

Horst was assigned Mrs. Astor, a character drawn from the real-life Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, one of the most powerful figures in late-19th-century New York society. Known simply as “the Mrs. Astor,” she served as a formidable arbiter of old New York society and, alongside Ward McAllister, helped define the exclusive social circle known as the “Four Hundred.”

For Horst, translating that history, status, extravagance, and rigidity into flowers required pulling from nearly every part of her creative practice. Her design does more than recreate Gilded Age opulence. It also explores the relationship between beauty, power, access, labor, and the idea of luxury itself.

“Mrs. Astor’s rigid control of New York society, who belonged, who didn’t, helped define the Gilded Age. Yet her character transcends history. Today, wealth still signals power. Financial struggle still limits access. Class divides still shape our lives. This recreation honors that continuity while challenging it. Instead of imported exotics, this gown features celosia, local, farm-fresh, and inherently luxurious. Velvety and refined, celosia proves that true elegance need not depend on scarcity or distant sources. Mrs. Astor gatekept access to life-affirming beauty. Here, beauty is grown close to home, shared openly, and rooted in the earth we all inhabit.”

Horst’s original design concept also makes the technical execution part of the statement. In her words, refinement is not determined by origin or scarcity, but by the labor, attention, and skill invested in each detail.

Built Almost Entirely by Hand

Working with an exceptionally lean team and completing much of the design and fabrication herself, Horst developed the concept, selected the materials, engineered the botanical elements, and constructed the finished installation. The project required her to move beyond traditional floral design into wearable botanical art, detailed appliqué work, structural design, preservation techniques, and intricate hand construction.

The finished Mrs. Astor incorporates an unusually broad palette of botanical materials. Skeleton leaves and gomphrena form the sleeves. The crown combines sweet pea vine, lunaria pods, white strawflower, white gomphrena, and feather grasses. Yellow celosia and hand-built floral appliqués made from gomphrena, statice, German chamomile, and pressed daisies shape the dress coat, while purple aster, beautyberry, sea moss, kale, and orchids help create the surrounding environment.

Some of the most intricate details required Horst to layer translucent lunaria against skeleton-leaf veining and place individual gomphrena heads to catch the light like beadwork, echoing the painstaking handwork associated with Gilded Age fashion.

Horst sourced flowers locally from Pennsylvania growers, including Royal Oaks Farm and Country Joy Flowers, supplementing the design with materials from Schaefer Wholesale Florist floral supply.

A Historic Setting for Floral Storytelling

The setting adds another layer of significance to the exhibition. Lynnewood Hall was commissioned by industrialist and art collector Peter A. B. Widener and designed by noted Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer. Construction began in 1897, with the estate formally opening in December 1899. Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE marks Lynnewood Hall’s first opening to the general public in 84 years, as preservation work continues to return the historic estate to public use.

Fleurs de Villes describes its exhibitions as a form of “floral storytelling,” pairing local floral artists with cultural, historical, and artistic subjects. Over the past decade, the organization has produced more than 160 floral shows and experiences in 35 cities across five countries, working with more than 1,600 floral artists worldwide.

A New Lancaster Chapter for ALTERNA FLORA

For Horst, the invitation also arrives at the beginning of a new chapter for ALTERNA FLORA. After founding the studio in West Philadelphia in 2020, Horst recently relocated the business to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she now creates custom floral design for weddings, events, brands, businesses, and hospitality spaces throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The Fleurs de Villes selection offers a high-profile introduction to ALTERNA FLORA’s new home region while showcasing the highly conceptual, sculptural approach that has defined Horst’s work from the beginning.

Event Details

Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE
September 25 through October 4, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily
Last entry: 5:00 p.m.

Lynnewood Hall
920 Spring Avenue
Elkins Park, PA 19027

Timed admission is available through Fleurs de Villes and Fever.

About ALTERNA FLORA

ALTERNA FLORA is a queer-owned floral design studio based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, founded by artist and floral designer Kristin Horst. Known for expressive color, architectural forms, unconventional materials, and highly customized design, ALTERNA FLORA creates florals for weddings, events, installations, brands, businesses, and hospitality spaces throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. The studio favors locally and seasonally grown flowers whenever possible and incorporates foam-free, reusable, and lower-waste mechanics throughout its work.

Media Contact
ALTERNA FLORA
hello@alternaflora.gay
alternaflora.gay